This invention relates to an apparatus for teeing up balls in the practice of golf. More particularly, this invention relates to a golf practicing apparatus that enables a ball to be automatically teed up on a flat floor without forming an exposed hole in its surface through which the tee and the ball are moved up and down. Even if the player hits the floor surface with an iron while striking the teed up ball, he will not receive excessive impact on the hands and, hence, he is capable of effective practicing of golf not only with woods but also with irons.
While various kinds of apparatus for teeing up balls are used in a golf practicing yard, one that is capable of automatically teeing up balls is on increasing demand today. This type of apparatus is often constructed in such a way that a ball placed on the tee is raised through a hole made in the floor surface. After the ball is hit, the tee descends and the next ball is placed on it and subsequently raised to the hitting position. The sequence of these steps is repeated as many times as are necessary.
A problem with this prior art apparatus for automatically teeing up golf balls is that the hole made in the floor surface through which a ball and the tee are moved will prevent effective striking of balls. Such holes do not exist in actual golf courses. In addition, when the player hits the ball with an iron, he will unavoidably hit the underlying lawn grass or soil and this makes it necessary for the practicing player to strike the bottom of the ball. In this situation, it is unavoidable for the player practicing with the prior art apparatus to hit the top edges of the hole. Not only does this prevent the player from striking the ball smoothly but it also exerts excessive impact on his hands and causes damage to the club he is using. Therefore, practicing with irons has been impossible to perform effectively with the prior art apparatus for automatically teeing up balls. A further problem is that the hole will unavoidably come into the view of the player when he hits the ball, which is far from the situation that normally occurs in actual golf courses.